FROM THE CHAIRMAN FROM THE WORKING TOGETHER CHAIRMAN TO ENCOURAGE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY SMA CHAIRMAN, DR ANDREW JOWETT EXPLAINS HOW A COLLABORATIVE APPROACH IS NEEDED SO COMMUNITIES CAN REAP ALL THE BENEFITS EXERCISE HAS TO OFFER. Leading off this edition which and general day-to-day living when discusses the role of exercise, we are prescribing exercise and it is poignant we revisit the visionfactor this into our considerations. and mission of SMA: We shouldn’t ignore opportunities for incidental exercise in our daily life and Vision: “Healthy participation and unstructured activity/play which sadly performance in sport and physical seems to be diminished in our society. activity for all” Andrew Jowett There are a number of physical andrew.jowett@sma.org.au Mission: “SMA will provide leading and psychological conditions that information and expertise on sports are positively benefited by exercise medicine, exercise science, injury and research continues to show prevention and physical activity” a growing number of areas both in One of our strengths in SMA is that term of prevention and treatment. we are a multidisciplinary organisationThis edition discusses the role of and as such, recognize that all disciplinesexercise in cancer treatment, depression play a role in advocating physical activityand osteoarthritis and explains how and exercise. No single discipline ownsexercise acts a powerful treatment tool. exercise and we all need to collaborate.Like medications, it can be prescribed Like the anti-smoking campaign, in dose, frequency and duration. It may One of our strengths sometimes to be effective, it is necessaryhave side effects that also need to for the message to be delivered in manybe considered although these may in SMA is that we are ways, from all different directions, be positive (eg: weight loss). a multidisciplinary on many occasions. It will also require courage from governments, councils Lately, some disciplines have been organisation and as and the like to recognise the issues criticising this as the “medicalisation” and provide an environment with of exercise but surely this is just one such, recognize that services that supports an active lifestyle.way of delivering the message of all disciplines play a the benefits of exercise. Exercise is a broad term and really role in advocating a subset of physical activity. We shouldn’tNo one group owns exercise – exercise ignore physical activity as part of workneeds to be owned by the people! physical activity and exercise. No single discipline owns exercise and we all need to collaborate. 2 VOLUME 36 • ISSUE 2 2018